Sounds, April 30, 1977

Bibliography   72 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 UK & Ireland weeklies UK & Ireland magazines UK & Ireland newspapers US newspapers US rock magazines US music magazines US magazines US alternative weeklies European magazines European newspapers Canada  •  Mexico  •  Asia Australia  •  New Zealand South America  •  Africa Blogs  •  Fanzines  •  Books Online publications Sounds   1974 March 30 1976 August 14 1976 November 20 1977 March 26 1977 April 9 1977 April 30 1977 May 28 1977 June 11 1977 June 25 1977 July 23 1977 July 30 1977 August 6 1977 August 13 1977 August 20 1977 September 3 1977 September 17 1977 October 15 1977 October 22 1977 November 5 1977 December 3 1977 December 10 1977 December 17 1977 December 24 1978 January 28 1978 February 18 1978 February 25 1978 March 4 1978 March 11 1978 March 18 1978 April 1 1978 April 8  1978 April 15 1978 April 22 1978 April 29 1978 June 17 1978 September 2 1978 September 9 1978 September 16 1978 September 23 1978 September 30 1978 October 21 1978 November 18 1978 November 25 1978 December 30 1979‎ January 6 1979‎ February 3 1979‎ February 10 1979‎ February 24   1979‎ April 14  1979‎ May 12 1979‎ June 2 1979‎ July 21 1979‎ December 29 1980 January 5 1980 January 19 1980 February 2 1980 February 23 1980 March 15 1980 March 22 1980 April 5 1980 April 12   1980 May 24 1980 June 7 1980 August 30 1980 September 6 1980 October 4 1980 October 11 1980 October 18 1980 December 27 1981 January 3 1981 January 17 1981 January 24 1981 February 7 1981 February 28 1981 April 4 1981 November 21 1982 January 16 1982 June 12 1982 June 26 1982 July 10 1982 July 31 1982 September 18 1982 September 25 1982 November 27 1983 January 8 1983 June 25 1983 July 2 1983 July 16 1983 July 30 1983 September 17 1983 October 29 1983 November 5  1983 December 10 1984 January 7 1984 March 31 1984 April 28 1984 June 9 1984 June 30 1984 July 14 1984 October 20 1984 December 15 1985 March 23 1985 April 20 1985 May 11 1986 February 22 1986 March 1 1986 September 13 1986 November 29 1986 December 20 1987 January 31 1987 February 7 1987 June 27 1987 December 5 1989 February 11 1989 February 18 1989 March 4 1989 May 6 1989 May 13 1989 June 24 1989 July 15 1989 October 21 1989 December 23 — Mystery Man Chas de Whalley Fighting talk. "If certain notable people can't hear that 'Less Than Zero' is a great record, then they ought to see a mortician." No, this brash young fellow shooting his mouth off ain't Nick Lowe dressed up as Buddy Holly. Neither is it the Clash's Joe Strummer posing in baggy pants and horn-rimmed specs. It's Elvis Costello, Stiff's latest recording protege, the man responsible for the remarkable "Less Than Zero." And a more stubbornly secretive character you are unlikely to meet this side of Steve Harley's front door. "No pictures. I want to keep my own face. I don't want people to know what I look like." Mid-twenties, about five foot ten, clean featured, poor-sighted and unfashionably dressed. Do you live in Richmond? Well then he might just be the guy sitting opposite you on the bus to work. A man proud and protective of his privacy. "I don't want to talk about the past. It's dead and gone. I didn't appear in a puff of smoke. I've been around a long time. If people weren't interested in what I was doing then, why would they want to know all about it now?" Fair enough, I suppose. But perhaps a couple of Sounds readers saw the old pub band Flip City a year or two back and might care to know that the lead singer has resurfaced. Perhaps somebody might know the man as D. P. Costello, from the last year spent playing his guitar and singing his songs in the folk clubs. Perhaps he's done other things and got other fans I don't know anything about. Shouldn't a little more info be forthcoming? No go, Joe. As far as Elvis is concerned his slate is wiped clean. He starts from scratch or he doesn't start at all. And he starts with "Less Than Zero," the self-penned heavy calypso which introduced Elvis' knife-edged voice to the world of vinyl. Unfortunately certain sections of the music press were not kindly disposed to this latest Stiff masterpiece. "That shocked me you know. I knew that record companies were unimaginative. That's why I signed with Stiff because they're the only one in the country who know what's going on. But I didn't think the press would be as bad. "Some reviews said I sounded like Graham Parker. It's like all they can do is relate you to the thing you most sound like. I reckon I'm just as influenced by Charlie Parker or Hank Williams. "I listen to all sorts of things and naturally some come out in my songs. But I've never rewritten anybody else's song and I'll argue the toss with anybody that I sound like me. My album My Aim Is True will prove that when it comes out next month. "The trouble is, people listen too much to what a song sounds like and not enough to what it sounds of. 'Less Than Zero' is all there in the lyrics. Use your imagination. Work it out yourself." Readers without a copy of the single ought to get off at the next stop and score themselves one. Don't ignore the ace B-side "Radio Sweetheart" but spin "Less Than Zero" a couple of times and if you're still stuck for an answer Elvis might just give you a clue or two. Like, for instance, the verse is about a TV show, and the chorus is about someone trying to stop someone else watching it. The shadowy Mr Oswald is very famous and too real, and for that reason the two thousand people who voted for the National Front in Strechford recently will probably heave a brick through Elvis' window. And that's all you're getting, 'cos Elvis Costello won't say a word more. "I'm not going to explain my songs. If you can't hear what's going on from the song itself then God help you. I'm not going to write a manifesto. I'm not going to write a leaflet to explain 'Less Than Zero.' I'm a better songwriter than that, surely." Why yes. But a slippery customer all the same. Tags: Less Than Zero  •  Radio Sweetheart  •  Stiff Records  •  Nick Lowe  •  Buddy Holly  •  Joe Strummer  •  The Clash  •  Richmond  •  Flip City  •  Graham Parker  •  Charlie Parker  •  Hank Williams  •  My Aim Is True  •  Oswald Mosley  •  National Front << >> Sounds, April 30, 1977 Chas de Whalley interviews Elvis Costello. Images Clipping. Photos by Ian Dickson.   Cover and page scans.

External links

• Wikipedia: Sounds
• elviscostello.info
• Elvis Costello Fan Forum
• Flickr: Stephen McCathie
• Twitter: SoundsClips
• Rocks Back Pages: Chas de Whalley